Brass catchers

[Rum River]

It seems there are a couple of basic designs.

I have one of those you wear on your hand. It seems to do an OK job once you get it adjusted right. While it works fine for informal practice, it's more cumbersome than I like when shooting competition.

Another design is a rigid plastic unit that snaps over the top of a 1911. I haven't had any experience with that one. It looks like from the photos you can't mount a dot sight and still use the catcher. I'm curious how hard it is on the finish of the pistol too.

Are there other designs out there? It'd be nice to have one that mounts to the pistol, and still allows the use of a dot sight.

[Questor]

Rum River:

I have one of the plastic ones that snap onto a 1911 and it is functionally very good. However, I quit using it because it mars the surface of the gun. I put it on brightly polished Kimber Gold Match and was a bit distressed to see the scuffing on the frame. I was able get most of the marring out with some Simichrome polish.

After that experience I considered other designs and decided against the use of any of them. Instead, I found a source of low cost range brass. I pick my brass up, but if I lose some, I don't sweat it.  Fortunately I use 45acp. Unfortunately I don't like to shoot 45 indoors because I tend to lose a lot of brass at indoor ranges.

Some guys in the bullseye league use the ones that look like a fishing net mounted on a heavy iron pedestal. They use them indoors and out, and they are the only kind I've seen at bullseye matches.

[3fifty8]

I have a Smith Model 52-2 and it has a metal framed net mesh brass catcher which is attached on the right side under the grip panel.
It doesn't touch the slide at all.  A nice system which works very well.

[Rum River]

3fifty8,

I have a S&W 52 as well. and I was hoping to find something that works on both that and my 1911 .45.
Where did you find the one for your 52?

[C1PNR]

I like the idea of a brass catcher that's not attached to the gun.  I'm still looking for the right design, but it may take a while as I'm looking for one that could double up to catch my .30 Carbine and Mini 14 brass as well as the pistol stuff.

[Duckdog]

I ordered one that fits on my hand from Midway, and it works pretty good. I've used it on serval of my pistols, but the one that it really saves the most time with is my cz 52s, as those babys launch a mile. 

It catches about 99% of the brass and the ones it does'nt, end up right in front of you.

[winman]

During extensive range time at my 'semi-private' gun club I place a shallow two foot by three foot cardboard box on the shooting bench just shy of my shooting hand. It has a sheet of cloth hanging from a wooden rod to absorb ejected shells. Works well for me.

During matches I tend to use 'color coded' cases to identify my ejected rounds from the local 'brass hounds'.